I have been in the mood to make these Easy Cinnamon Almonds for quite some time now, but keep forgetting to!  I’ll just blame it on “baby brain.”

Now that we are into Fall, I decided to incorporate some pumpkin pie spice into the mix.  Pumpkin pie spice is a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, then you can easily substitute those spices instead.

Easy Cinnamon and Spice Almonds are so easy to make and make a great gift for the upcoming holidays!  All you need is some cute packaging.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily substitute other types of nuts instead of using almonds.  My favorites are cashews, walnuts, or pecans, or a mix of all of them.  Feel free to use what you like!

Easy Cinnamon and Spice Almonds

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
3 cups raw almonds

 Method:

1.  In a large saute pan, stir together sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and water.

2.  Over medium heat, add almonds and stir continuously until a thick syrup forms and sugar crystallizes, about 5 minutes.

3.  Pour almonds onto a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely.   Store in an air-tight container.

Tips and Thoughts:

Here’s a tip if you are wondering how to clean the pan afterwards.   Immediately after pouring your nuts onto the baking sheet, fill the pan with water, high enough to cover the crystallized sugar on the sides.   Over medium heat, stir the water occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.   Now you should be able to easily wash your pan.

It is a cloudy rainy day, the perfect weather for soup!  Football season has begun (Go Hokies!) and it definitely feels like Fall.

Creamy Potato, Roasted Cauliflower, and Cheddar Soup was inspired by a recipe I found that uses roasted cauliflower.  In the colder months, I make a Leek and Potato soup, which will be in a future post, but this time I wanted to make a soup similar to that using roasted cauliflower instead of the leeks.  I made a few minor changes and added in an aged sharp white cheddar, which is usually just a garnish in my Leek and Potato Soup.

Usually we are more of a broccoli family, but this time cauliflower was the star!

Creamy Potato, Roasted Cauliflower, and Cheddar Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 medium baking potatoes, peels and diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 cups water
16 oz (about 2 cups) aged sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup whole milk or half and half

Method:

1.  Heat oven to 400*.  In a baking pan, toss together cauliflower florets, canola oil, and salt and pepper.  Spread into a single layer and roast until lightly browned about 20-30 minutes.

2.  In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven (I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven!), over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter.  When the pan is heated and the butter melts, add the onion.  Saute the onion several minutes until opaque.  Turn heat to low and stir in the garlic and thyme.  Cook 2 minutes.

3.  Add vegetable or chicken stock and diced potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.

Add the roasted cauliflower and 1-2 cups of water – just until the potatoes and cauliflower are covered. (The amount of water needed depends on how large your cauliflower and potatoes are.) Continue to cook another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

4.  Turn heat to low and puree with a stick (immersion) blender, or working in batches with a regular blender.  Either way, be very careful as this hot mixture can easily splatter and burn!  If using a regular blender, return all soup to the pan.

Stir in 12 ounces of the shredded cheddar (about 1 1/2 cups) until completely melted.

Increase the heat to medium-low, and stir in the milk or half and half.

Divide into bowls and top with remaining cheese.  Serve with crusty toasted bread or crostini if desired.

For a few weeks, I have been talking about how I am ready for Fall, and now it is almost here!

I have been putting out my Fall decorations all around the house and am finally inspired to do some more baking.  I have all sorts of recipes lined up that I want to make, especially with pumpkin, so I hope you are ready!

My daughter started preschool this past week and she absolutely loves it!  The school  theme for the month is farms and that is very fitting for the Fall season.  At the end of the month they will be visiting a farm, and all of the parents are required to chaperone.  I’m really looking forward to it because we get to go on a hayride, pick and eat apples, and pick out a pumpkin.

My first Fall themed recipe is Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, slightly adapted from Paula Dean.  This moist and flavorful cake is baked in a 9 x 13 pan, so it comes together quickly and all you have to do is spread some frosting on after it cools.

The Cream Cheese Frosting is absolutely delicious and is based on a version I used to make when I worked at a bakery during pastry school.  It is also terrific on Red Velvet Cake and Carrot Cake.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin.  Mix until combined.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and soda, and slowly add to the mixer on low.

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until done.

When the cake is done, and cooled, make the cream cheese frosting.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Serve and enjoy the flavors of Fall!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Icing:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until just incorporated and batter is smooth.

3.  Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely.

4.  To make frosting:  In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix on medium until smooth and fluffy.  On low, slowly add the powdered sugar until combined and it is the desired consistency.  Add in the vanilla and spread onto your cooled cake.

Tips and Thoughts:

My oven is a little weird when it comes to baking any sort of cake, especially in a pan this size.  It took me almost an hour to bake my cake, so be aware of how your oven bakes!

Although I haven’t tried it yet, I’m sure this would make a great layered cake or  cupcakes.  Just be sure to adjust your cooking time according to the size pan you use.

Here is another slightly adapted version of the recipe from Paula Dean on How To: Simplify.  This site has a ton of fantastic looking recipes with great photos.

I can’t believe summer is coming to an end and my daughter is going to start preschool in less than a month!  Secretly, I am ready for fall though.  It seems like it has been summer forever here in Virginia.  I feel like it has been warm since I first moved here back in March.  I think we had a week of cold weather, but other than that it has been much warmer than what I was used to Seattle, where we get about a week of hot weather per year.

I also have some exciting news that I haven’t yet shared here on my blog:  we are going to have a new addition to our family!  I am about 15 weeks along and due at the end of January.  We are so excited!

I haven’t been able to post as often as I would have liked, but this summer has been busy and I hope to post more regularly once school starts.  It has been a great summer though, as I have been able to see so many people who I have missed while living so far away.

Now, on to some cooking! I have had several “sweet” posts lately, so I thought it was time for a savory one.

Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Sausage and Artichokes is a delicious pasta dinner, loaded with flavor.  It has quite a few ingredients, but they are all easy to find and once you have all of them ready to go, the meal comes together relatively quickly.

This dish is based on a recipe I found in Giada’s Family Dinners, but I have changed it around a bit and adapted it to my tastes.  Many of the ingredients can be interchanged to your liking, but here is the way I like to make it.

Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Sausage and Artichokes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (about 4 oz) drained oil-packed Julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons of oil reserved
1 package (4 sausages) sun-dried tomato basil chicken sausage (fully cooked), sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 can (approx 14.5 oz) quartered artichokes, or 10 oz jar marinated quartered artichokes, drained and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 oz whole wheat penne (orecchiette pasta is also good)
8 oz pearlini mozzarella, drained (see tips and thoughts)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp dried parsley
shredded parmesan cheese for serving

Method:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted to water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

2.  While the pasta is cooking, heat the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook just a few minutes until browned.  Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.  In the same pan, add the artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until garlic is tender. Be sure to watch the garlic, as it can burn easily.  Add the broth and wine, and boil for about 8 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly, stirring occasionally.

3.  Combine the sausage and cooked pasta with the sun-dried tomato and artichoke sauce.  Stir in the mozzarella, basil, and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, topping with parmesan cheese as desired.

Tips and Thoughts:

Instead of Julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes, you can buy whole sun-dried tomatoes and chop them yourself, but I find that they are a little difficult to chop.

If you can not find pearlini mozzarella, which are tiny balls of fresh mozzarella in liquid, you can used regular fresh mozzarella that has been drained and cubed.

I like to use sun-dried tomato basil chicken sausage because it is mild and ties in with the flavors of the dish, but feel free to substitute any kind of sausage that you like.  The original recipe calls for one pound of hot Italian sausages, with the casings removed.  Be sure to cook it until it is done, about 8 minutes.

I first had Blueberry Crunch Cake when I began dating my husband back in 2000.  It was a favorite of his that his mother had been making since he was a kid.  I had never been a big fan of blueberries growing up, so I was a little skeptical to try some. One bite and I was hooked.

Soon after we got married, we moved from Virginia to the Seattle area in Washington.  My husband eventually missed his Blueberry Crunch Cake, and luckily his mother was very generous to share the recipe with me!  I have been making it ever since, mostly in the summer when we can get delicious fresh blueberries.

I made a few minor changes to her recipe and now, not only do I like eating Blueberry Crunch Cake, I also like blueberry muffins!

First, cream the butter and sugar.

Mix in the egg and add the vanilla.

Gradually add flour mixture and milk.

Spread into your baking dish.

To make the topping, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle the topping over the cake batter and bake.

Bower’s Blueberry Crunch Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries (about a pint)

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 butter, well-chilled, cut into tiny pieces
1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, spray with cooking spray.

2.  To make the cake:  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Stir with a whisk until combined.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand-held mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the egg and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Stir in the vanilla.

4.  Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, 2 times, beginning and ending with the flour mixture  (i.e. flour, milk, flour, milk, flour), until just combined.  Do not over mix.  (Hopefully this is not too complicated.)  Gently fold in the blueberries.  Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish.

5.  To make the topping:  In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  (If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can use a fork or 2 knives to cut the butter in.)  Sprinkle all over the top of the cake batter.

6.  Bake 35-40 min or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Tips and Thoughts:

I enjoy this cake best served warm with vanilla ice cream.  My husband’s family often serves it in a bowl with cold milk poured around it.

I have tried this cake with frozen blueberries and feel that it works best with fresh.  I would not recommend using frozen, but you could always give it a try.  Maybe it will work out better for you than it did for me!

My mother-in-law’s original recipe said to bake for 25-30 minutes, but I have found that it takes longer for mine to bake. (It could just be my oven.) I would recommend watching it closely to make sure it does not over bake.   In the oven in my new house, it recently took about an hour to fully bake (The middle would not cook! It seems like cakes always take longer to bake in there.) so you might have to find the time that works best for your oven.

Since it is summertime, there is always an abundance of fresh produce just waiting to be eaten and I had some extra zucchini ready to go.  I’ve been bookmarking various dessert recipes using zucchini that I have been wanting to try, and this one was calling my name with all of its chocolately goodness!  I made a few minor changes and fell in love!

As you may have noticed, I like dark chocolate!  And any dessert made with loads of chocolate, I just can’t resist.   The Triple Chocolate Banana Bread I made a few months ago is another example.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread is so moist, it is more like cake than bread.  You wouldn’t even know it has zucchini in it!

First, shred some raw zucchini.

In an electric mixer, combine the wet ingredients.

Gently mix in the zucchini.

After gradually adding the dry ingredients, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch processed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, by greasing or using cooking spray.

2.  Shred zucchini using a medium or small grater and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, if using).  Stir with a whisk to combine.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until well blended.  Gently mix in zucchini.  On low-speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  (Do not over mix.)  Fold in chocolate chips.

4.  Pour batter into prepared pan, and cook for about 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely before serving.

**As always, I’d love to hear any of your comments!  Please feel free to leave one.

I hope you enjoy the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread!

Adapted from Joy of Baking (JoyofBaking.com)

Granola Bites are an easy, healthy snack, perfect for all ages.  These are great to have on hand, especially if you just need a quick healthy snack.

Even though I used to make a version of these when I was a child, with just oats, honey, and peanut butter, I can not take credit for this more sophisticated version that incorporates coconut, ground flaxseed, and mini chocolate chips.  I found these on the blog, Smashed Peas and Carrots.  (I prefer to call them Granola Bites.)  I saw this recipe circulate around Pinterest many times, and I knew it I had to try it.  My sister shared some that she made, and then I had to make some for myself as well.

I love that you can try various add-ins, much like these other tasty granola bars, to suit your personal tastes.  Most of the ingredients are ones that I always have on-hand.

Granola Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup oats
1/2 cup peanut butter (any nut-butter will work)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well incorporated.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.  Roll into small balls and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Feel free to mix in other things that you like such as dried fruit, small chopped nuts, etc.  Keep in mind you might need to add a bit more honey or nut butter if you add several other ingredients to keep the mixture from becoming too dry.

Source: Smashed Peas and Carrots (No-Bake Energy Bites)

One of my friends in Seattle introduced this delicious drink to me last summer (You know who you are–Thank You!) and I had to know how to make it!  I looked up some recipes and here’s what I came up with.

This drink is the perfect way too cool off on a hot summer day, especially with this hot summer we have been having, and a great way to use up any leftover watermelon that needs to be eaten.  Plus, it only has a five ingredients!

Watermelon Ginger Limeade

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)

Method:

1.  In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and ginger.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  Strain the ginger syrup into a small bowl (or pitcher) and allow to cool.

2.  Place the cubed watermelon in a food processor and pulse a few times until smooth.  (I say “pulse” because this process can get quite messy!)  Pour the puree into a strainer set over a large bowl.  Press the juice out of any seeds or pulp that remain in the strainer.

3.  In a pitcher, combine the ginger syrup, watermelon puree, and lime juice.  Chill until ready to use (stir before serving).  Pour into glasses filled with ice and enjoy!  Garnish with additional watermelon if desired.

Tips and Thoughts:

This drink is also good if you add some club soda to make it a little bubbly (or lemon-lime soda).  I also used it to make what I call a “Watermelon Palmer,” which is half Watermelon Ginger Limeade/half Lemonade.

If you do not serve it all immediately, you will find that it will begin to separate.  Just give it a quick stir before serving.  (Keep chilled in the refrigerator.)

Source:  Food & Wine, April 2005

Shrimp and Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce is a simple, yet tasty, dish you can make year-round, but it is especially nice to serve in the summer when you want to spend as little time in the hot kitchen as possible.

This dish comes together very quickly, so make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go!

FYI:  This recipe does call for a somewhat uncommon ingredient, sweet (red) vermouth.  I could imagine most people don’t have a bottle sitting around in their kitchens, but it really does make all the difference in this recipe.  Believe me, I’ve tried it with dry vermouth and it’s not quite the same!  Go out and buy yourself a bottle.  It doesn’t cost all that much and it will last you a long time.  Plus, you can use it to make this recipe over and over and over!

Shrimp and Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb peeled large shrimp
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup sweet (red) vermouth
1 (14-15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb angel-hair pasta (or thin spaghetti)

Method:

1.  Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions.  Drain.

2.  While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.   When the oil shimmers, add shrimp, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, turning once, until golden.  Stir in vermouth and tomatoes.  Add cream and simmer about 1 minute.  Stir in lemon juice.

3.  Serve pasta topped with shrimp and sauce.  (*The sauce in this dish is somewhat thin, so if that’s how yours turns out, you did it right!)

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 2008